nounDate: 1850
the part of the autonomic nervous system that contains chiefly adrenergic fibers and tends to depress secretion, decrease the tone and contractility of smooth muscle, and increase heart rate — compare parasympathetic nervous system

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Sympathetic nervous system — Infobox Anatomy Name = Sympathetic nervous system Caption = The sympathetic nervous system extends from the thoracic to lumbar vertebrae and has connections with the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic plexuses. Mesh = Sympathetic+Nervous+SystemThe… … Wikipedia

Sympathetic nervous system — A part of the nervous system that serves to accelerate the heart rate, constrict blood vessels, and raise blood pressure. The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system constitute the autonomic nervous system, the branch of … Medical dictionary

sympathetic nervous system — One of the two divisions of the vertebrate autonomic nervous system (the other being the parasympathetic nervous system). The sympathetic preganglionic neurons have their cell bodies in the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord, and… … Dictionary of molecular biology

sympathetic nervous system — one of the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system, having fibres that leave the central nervous system, via a chain of ganglia close to the spinal cord, in the thoracic and lumbar regions. Its nerves are distributed to the blood vessels,… … Medical dictionary

sympathetic nervous system — one of the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system, having fibres that leave the central nervous system, via a chain of ganglia close to the spinal cord, in the thoracic and lumbar regions. Its nerves are distributed to the blood vessels,… … The new mediacal dictionary

sympathetic nervous system — noun Anatomy, Physiology that portion of the autonomic nervous system which is made up of a system of nerves and ganglia which arise from the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord, and which supply the walls of the vascular system and… … Australian English dictionary

sympathetic nervous system — noun The part of the autonomic nervous system that under stress raises blood pressure and heart rate, constricts blood vessels and dilates the pupils. See Also: parasympathetic nervous system, sympathectomy … Wiktionary

sympathetic nervous system — part of the nervous system that operates automatically without conscious choice (such as nerves responsible for blood circulation, digestion, breathing, etc.) … English contemporary dictionary

sympathetic nervous system — The part of the nervous system that increases heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and pupil size. It also causes blood vessels to narrow and decreases digestive juices … English dictionary of cancer terms